When Young Sheldon returns to CBS in early 2024, it may very well be for a farewell run.
Speaking to TVLine in March, executive producer Steve Holland told us that Season 7 of the Eye network’s top-rated sitcom could be its last.
“We’ve certainly started to talk about it,” Holland said at the time. “There are certainly things we know we want to hit next season, and there are certain things where, if it’s the end versus if it’s just [another season], those things might be different.”
Hollywood’s then-looming WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes were also expected to play a role in the decision. “That’s certainly another thing that throws a wrench into it — how long it goes on, and how many episodes this next season will end up being,” he said. “Those are questions we can’t even answer; we’d just be speculating. So, we certainly have a plan in place of where we’re aiming [to get] next season with some understanding, and some flexibility, that this may or may not be the end.”
One way or the other, TVLine has a few requests for the Big Bang Theory prequel as it inches closer to the finish line. What follows is a list of do’s and (please!) don’ts for Season 7, which kicks off Thursday, Feb. 15.
In Young Sheldon Season 1, George bet his son $1,000 that he would be married before he turns 25. After accepting Dad’s bet, our narrator chimed in to say that “Georgie married his first wife at 19” — and in the Season 6 finale, Mandy proposed to an 18-year-old Georgie. They may not get their Happily Ever After — per Big Bang lore, Georgie marries and divorces twice by 2019 — but their nuptials would mark a fitting end to Georgie’s prequel arc.
Four years after Georgie took a part-time job at Herschel Sparks’ auto body shop and discovered an affinity for tires, Young Sheldon viewers were introduced to Georgie’s prospective in-laws who run a tire store of their own.
Could McCallister Auto and Tire eventually be converted into Georgie’s first Dr. Tire shop? Possibly! In the meantime, let’s see what he can do as Jim’s apprentice.
Paige hasn’t had it easy. In recent seasons, we’ve seen her struggle with her parents’ divorce and the pressures of being a child prodigy. She eventually dropped out of school — and the fact that she’s never mentioned on Big Bang makes her recent, self-destructive path all the more worrisome.
Before Young Sheldon ends, we need to know why Dr. Cooper never mentions Paige as an adult. We also need to know that she turns out OK. (A flash-forward revealing Paige’s whereabouts in the Big Bang Theory timeline would do the trick.)
A defining moment in Young Sheldon‘s life was seemingly erased — or, at the very least, skipped over — when Spring Break ’93 came and went without Sheldon walking in on George with another woman.
On Big Bang, Sheldon explained to Penny that it’s the reason he always knocks three times before entering a room. Ergo, it must happen in Season 7.
Assuming the prequel’s narrative keeps at a steady pace, Sheldon will turn 14 during Season 7 — the age where, per Big Bang‘s previously established timeline, the future Nobel Prize winner moves from Medford, Texas, to Pasadena, Calif., to begin his graduate studies at CalTech University. That same year, Georgie marries for the first time (see above) and George dies. It won’t be easy, but losing George would make for a bittersweet sendoff — a sendoff not unlike early ’90s classic The Wonder Years.
To ignore George’s infidelity or looming death date would be a slap in the face to those who have followed Big Bang from the very beginning. There’s only one way that would work — if our narrator reveals that he’s rewriting his family’s history as a means of coping with dormant childhood trauma — but even that would feel like a cheat. Plus, the aftermath would pave the way for our dream spinoff, The Coopers.
What do you want to see happen in Young Sheldon Season 7? Share your wish list in Comments.
So tired and annoyed that TVLine keeps pushing this narrative that this should be final season.
Knock it off, already.
They are only going off info that came from the show’s powers that be before the strike. The strike might have changed things. Hopefully it does. It would unfortunate if this were the final season if there is a season that can be savaged if the strike ends soon… Hopefully it comes back for a short season, and then the final season plays out next season. They have been trying to play with the ages of the characters for while. Although the younger cast as getting older and older.
I agree with the whole list, especially the don’t: one thing is to give the viewers a different point of view on George’s life and death the way they are doing during the whole series run; one thing is to completely rewrite the events. I think so far they did a great job in giving context and building the increasing mess that the Coopers’ marriage eventually became, I simply hope they keep telling this story until the inevitable end. Oh, I add one more want: more Missy! She has been the true MVP of the story in the last season, her character has so much to tell yet!
YES!!! To The Coopers!!!
The Coopers (minus Sheldon) could still feature George, Sr. Mary is ultra religious and George, Sr. could lurk as a ghost. Mary saying she could almost feel him still there as his ghost stood next to her commenting. His comments could be sharp and on target more than in life since only the viewers could hear him. Imagine him as Mary dates or Missy is about to almost have sex – or Georgie doing something stupid.
I would be curious to find out what became of Dr. Sturgis. Based on their friendship during Young Sheldon, I find it strange that he was also never mentioned on The Big Bang Theory.
He wasn’t mentioned because he didn’t exist most of the time TBBT was on the air. The only time he might have mentioned Sturgis would have been in his Nobel acceptance speech.
I’m just looking forward to future career developments for Montana Jordon after the show’s finale. He has leading man written all over him.
Paige finally worked through all those personal problems, made some serious life changes, and grew up to be Howard Wolowitz. Sheldon refused to acknowledge this, because he was upset that his old friend had turned into an engineer.
I see it differently. She uses her brains to go into finance, or, closer to what you suggested, she is involved with some tech startup. Either way, she ends up rich and successful, but in a field Shel doesn’t value (those being Theoretical physics, or creating some big time Sci-Fi franchise). I’d love it if Paige won a Nobel in economics. She’d be rich and successful, which Shel hates when it happens to someone other than Shel, so it makes sense he’d ignore it.
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I fear that actress availability (she’s super busy) will impact this story. Killing her off screen is a possibility. It would maybe exacerbate Missy’s coming struggles.
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If there IS a Cooper spinoff, they might recast and make Paige a recurring or even regular character in the new show.
You know what, on that note, it would be kind of better if she turns out to be a Geologist, considering he has an equal lack of respect for that field as he does with Engineers.
I think the best solution for Page would be for her to somehow in a flash forward, she could meet Raj. Could you imagine Sheldon’s reaction?
Brilliant!
I think the best solution for Paige would be for her to somehow in a flash forward, she could meet Raj. Could you imagine Sheldon’s reaction?
Sorry not at all into TVLines things they don’t want. I have no interest in watching what TVLine is pitching. This weirdly depressing ending where Sheldon is so traumatized that he’s literally lost his mind and is rewriting the past? And the characters we’ve spend seven years with aren’t even real? Like no. That sounds terrible to me. I always assumed that if they touched on the origin of the three knocks that it would still be comical. Like George and Mary were being spicy in the bedroom with a wig and Sheldon misunderstood what he said.
I really don’t need to see what happens to Paige. It is obvious why Sheldon never mentioned Paige, he didn’t consider her a friend. From his point of view, she was more of a bully than a friend. If anything, she was Missy’s friend.
Glad to see someone else has this rational point of view about Paige.
Nothing about Missy or even Connie?
Missy, George, Me Maw and Georgie are the best things about YS. That’s why I would love to see “The Coopers”.
Love Missy, Mary and MeMaw. I agree they are why I watched
I don’t want George to die.
Even though Sheldon has a eidetic memory. So, there supposedly only so much that can be ignored from his childhood. You can buy that maybe tragic loss of his father colored some of his memories. But Mary was very against her husband, even in death. She would more believable. It’s too engrained in Sheldon’s DNA that his father died when he 14, and things weren’t good between his parents beforehand.
My question is if this long delayed season and long ass strike makes this the final season if it does come back within a few months. Or could it be two seasons. A short one. Then have it come back next year for a final season. It would be short changed greatly if it ends this season.
We already know that Sheldon has changed things from the past when he tells them in Big Bang. Many things. His father wanst a raging drunk as they seem to allude to in TBBT. House on cinder blocks um nope didnt happen. Billy being a bully to Sheldon, again nope.
I am a fine with revisionist history. Get over it.
“we need to know why Dr. Cooper never mentions Paige as an adult.”
No we don’t. She didn’t exist for most of the time TBBT was on the air, and she has been a minor side character who is unimportant to Sheldon (if Missy were telling the story, she might have more importance).
I really want a finale scene where Young Sheldon walks through a door and turns into Jim Parsons.
So you want an endeavor ending…brilliant! Let’s all agree that the really Sheldon will please make a fashionable nerdy entrance in the series finale. George Sr. must have his death. To explain Sheldon calling him a raging drunk or whatnot maybe he does become one or Sheldon is too angry about his father’s adultry and death that this is a rare moment he is emotionally, irrationally human and embellishes the truth a little.
In a very special dramatic episode, Jim Parson’s voiceover states that Paige died of a self inflicted overdose on the night of her 21st birthday after receiving her PhD that day. She left Sheldon a note that he’s never opened.
I’d rather hear this than watch a very special episode about Dad’s death.
Please, please don’t be the last season. Split the season into 2 seasons.
Also the new Frasier is fantastically wonderful… Right on the money. New yet familiar.
Using trauma as an excuse to rewrite the past would work in some shows but would be another retcon for Sheldon since he always showed himself to be a bit stunted in the EQ department. An adult Sheldon would have no interest in what he’d call “psychobabble”.
I’ve always thought the George and the other woman thing had a lot of room for interpretation. Again matching to BBT Sheldon doesn’t get these cues the way he didn’t understand when Leonard had a sock on his door. So what young Sheldon saw could be anything from full cheating to misinterpreting Dad hugging someone who was upset with no romance involved. There’s room for the writers there I think.
The Coopers spin off could be a really good show though.
This! I think Sheldon walks in on his parents while they’re trying to reconnect (they seem to be on that park) and doing some role playing with Mary wearing a blond wig- or he just said that in BBT because he hates admitting his mom (or memaw) had sex (the one ring episode illustrates this)
can Mary please stop calling Sheldon ”her baby”. while she is in Germany with Sheldon, can Mary get a boob job. pretty soon Missy will be bigger than she is if she isn’t already.
George is a certified alcoholic and should be attending AA meetings. if and when he dies, it should be the main cause of death.
My thoughts,
– George Sr. should have his death to keep with timeline. Sheldon has a perfect memory but he may have embellished the truth out of a rare moment of being human. He may had an irrational anger towards his dad for abandoning his mom. The adultry, death and the effect on his mom and her religious belief could have cause him to say he was a raging drunk but in the end he may have become a raging drunk. George’s story hasn’t played out, yet.
– Missy, as pertaining to Paige needs a reason for Missy going forward and becoming the woman she is portrayed in TBBT. Paige maybe a flat chracter but she adds depth overall to Missy and adult Sheldon does narrate the whole family so in that regard Paige is somewhat if minor important. A tragic life or end would explain why he never spoke of her unless it is because she was a bully to her. adult Sheldon has spoke of bullies in his past and maybe he just doesn’t want to invoke a visit from them by calling out their name.
– Georgie should have something that setup what happens to him if the show decides to end in the next 1-2 seasons. If they show a percentage of it that’s fine but from the context from past two seasons we know where his story is heading anyhow we just don’t know if adult Sheldon embellish just a tiny moment(s) of Georgie’s future. Maybe Sheldon found someway to rationalize (and not commit a sin, for the sake of mother Mary) of inflating some truths. That doesn’t mean it’s not true it just one key point might be slightly different than the reality. It doesn’t effect the outcome but I’m sure the writers are all over this scrutinizing every TBBT detail to ensure happy fans of Young Sheldon in the continuity in the TBBT timeline.
– Memaw and Mary and how do they feel and end up at the end of the series? We know Mary should feel righteous anger. We know Memaw wants to say I told you so but will she cave to her motherly instinct and comfort daughter Mary? We see they have a complicated dynamic in their relationship but not one that is dire or for a loss of love but still they have their disagreements with one another.
– Continuing as a spin-off (Many suggestions were The Coopers.) I think the best bet here is to eliminate the adult Sheldon narrator and focus mainly on the family minus young Sheldon. We will see maybe young Sheldon time from time but ultimately he is limited to mostly holidays. We might even get another spinoff focusing on his time at CalTech that allows him to interact with a whole new group of people and short-lived friends (fellow nerds, obviously.) Four to Six season is enough to give him a doctorate (Ph.D) in his honorable field of study and build supporting characters in a way that they are important because they must have done something like betrayal or stealing his ideas not to get mentioned by Adult Sheldon in TBBT. Maybe, that potential series end shows again how the main four met but adding different details, unadulterated, not given in TBBT. Plus, in one final narration Adult Sheldon explains why those three became his perfect friends despite all their flaws because in the end they are just like Sheldon just wired a little different in their personas.
What they could do in “Young Sheldon” season 7 is to use 2 seasons to describe one year in the family’s life… Stretch it….